


Cold Winter's Night

by fadedlullabyes



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: But it's not serious, Cuddles, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, M/M, Medication, Needles, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve has an asthma attack, Steve is hit by a car, late 1930sish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:51:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedlullabyes/pseuds/fadedlullabyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has an awful time getting back to his and Bucky's place. He finally makes it home only to suffer an asthma attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Winter's Night

It’d been one of the coldest winters New York had suffered to date. The temperature went into the double negatives and most people stayed inside just to keep warm. Steve Rogers wasn’t one of those people who could afford to stay in. There was money to be earned and he had pulled the weight of three men today. 

His body was protesting, as usual, as he walked his way home. There weren’t many people on the street and those that were, had been bundled up to the point their faces couldn’t be seen. Steve knew he was pushing it by being out in the cold and he was surprised that he hadn’t had an asthma attack yet. The cold was a trigger and he’d been lucky so far. Steve could hear Bucky fussing in his head about him being a dumbass for even being out in the first place. 

Normally Bucky was out working but he’d opted to stay home while the weather was like this. He didn’t want to risk frostbite out in this cold and so he had decided to take a mini-vacation. This wasn’t the best time to take one since Bucky was stuck was inside. He was getting cabin fever and it was driving Steve up the wall. The work he’d found down on the docks was a Godsend and he didn’t have to deal with Bucky. 

A crooked smile passed over Steve’s lips as he thought about the day he had moved in with Bucky. It had been several months after his mom passed away and he hadn’t known what to do with himself. Steve hadn’t lived by himself and without his mother, he was floundering to stay alive. His asthma had been easier to handle when she was alive. Sarah Rogers had been a nurse and could soothe Steve when he was suffering an attack. 

Bucky had stopped by his apartment, Steve never found out the reason why he had, and had found him on his floor gasping for breath. After he had survived the attack, Bucky had moved Steve into his apartment. Steve didn’t have the strength to protest and had been out for days while Bucky had moved his stuff in. 

The change hadn’t been all that bad and Steve wasn’t lonely anymore. He had missed another person in his life and with Bucky around, if he had attack, he would help him. It was certainly different living with Bucky than his mom. As the months wore on, Steve found himself attracted to his friend. He wasn’t sure if Bucky felt the same or saw him as a little brother. Steve didn’t want to really find out and so he walked on glass. Steve was always careful around Bucky and made sure he kept everything under wraps. 

He was blindsided by another body, someone had been walking by in a hurry and Steve tried to straightened before he fell. He didn’t want to explain to Bucky how he had managed to procure yet another bruise. But there was a patch of ice under Steve’s worn shoe and he was falling into the street. The person who had ran into him didn’t even stop as a car came towards Steve and wasn’t even hitting the brakes. 

The clip of the front of the vehicle hurt. The pain was worse because of the cold and Steve found himself on the road. He was bleeding from his shoulder and he couldn’t tell what damage had been done. Steve’s blood was warm but it wouldn’t stay that way for long, not with the sun setting. Steve grunted as he pulled his small from the road and watched as the car continued to go on its way. He frowned and then shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing Steve could really do and he needed to head home before Bucky came out in the cold to look for him. 

The rest of the trek to his place had taken far longer than Steve anticipated. The limp he had gained from the fall and the car hadn’t done Steve any favors. By the time he had reached the front door of the apartment, Steve was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to fall into his bed and sleep. Bucky would probably fuss over him first and while it would irritate Steve, he wouldn’t be able to protest. 

It was hard just to walk when his leg was protesting. He wanted to just sit down and rest but Steve knew that was a bad idea. He would freeze to death if he were to stay out here. He was already losing too much blood as it was and the light headedness was already settling in. If Steve made it to the apartment, it’d be a miracle. The thought of leaving Bucky alone didn’t sit right with him, so he carried on. 

Every step he took was agonizing and Steve had to grit his teeth through the pain. If he ever saw the owner of that car, he would definitely give them an earful. Steve hated the idea of someone driving carelessly like that and he shuddered as he thought of what could have happened. He didn’t want to think about joining his mother at the cemetery. Steve had things he wanted to do before he died, like gather up the courage to tell Bucky how he felt. 

It took him some time, but he was already on the doorstep of their apartment and he could hear Bucky pattering around inside. Steve tried to fish his key out of his pocket but he had trouble and gave up and rested his forehead against the door. He wanted to move, but the cold was winning and he couldn’t bring himself to extend his hand. 

Bucky must have heard him because the next thing Steve knew, his face was buried in a warm, broad chest. He wanted to pull away, but his body wouldn’t let him and Steve just allowed himself to stay where he was. Bucky’s warmth was a godsend and he might have moaned, but Steve would never admit to that. 

“Jesus, Steve! You’re a wreck!” Bucky said as he pulled him inside and slammed the door shut. Steve was sagging against Bucky, not really moving on his own. 

Steve was drug to their couch and placed there while Bucky ran to retrieve the bandages he kept for this type of situation. Steve was always getting into fights and most of the time, he came out scraped up. It wasn’t that he picked the skirmishes, but other people made it hard for him and Steve wasn’t one to run away from a fight. He was too Irish and headstrong for that. 

“Who did this to you?” Bucky growled as he sat down on the couch in front of Steve. The supplies were laid out on the cushions and he began to undo the layers of clothing that had been protecting from the harsh cold of winter. 

“I didn’t get into a fight,” Steve huffed as he blew his bangs out of his eyes. He could tell Bucky wanted to call bullshit and force the answer, but Steve hadn’t exactly gotten into a fight and if he let Bucky stew, he would be on the prowl all night. 

“Then what the hell happened?” Bucky demanded as he lifted the thick flannel shirt from Steve’s shoulders. Blood was caked on his shoulder from a scrape that looked more like someone had taken a cheese grater to it. 

“Some guy stumbled into me and a car hit me.” Steve answered nonchalantly as if it weren’t a huge deal and that this sort of thing occurred everyday. He said it so calmly that Bucky had to blink a few times. He took a few moments to decipher whether or not Steve was being serious before believing him. 

“I can’t...how does this shit even happen to you? You’re a walking magnet for trouble, Steven Grant Rogers.” Bucky shook his head and set about cleaning away the caked blood. It was warm in the apartment which meant Bucky had kept the temperature up just for Steve. Bucky was used to the cold since he had lived on the streets when he was younger and he wasn’t as affected as much as Steve. 

“I can’t help it.” Steve started to wheeze. 

His lungs were seizing up and he knew the asthma attack he was expecting earlier was happening now. He clutched at Bucky’s arm and tried to focus on breathing. He needed his medication and signalled to Bucky to go grab it. His friend didn’t waste a moment as he left Steve on the couch and began to rummage through the cabinets for the Adrenaline Chloride so Steve could breathe. 

Bucky prepared the injection Steve would need and stuck it in his arm. He pushed it in until the solution was gone and threw the needle to the table that had seen better days. He pulled Steve to his chest and waited for the medication to work its magic on Steve. He would tend to the wounds later since they didn’t seem to be bothering him all that much. 

“I swear to God, Steve, one of these days you aren’t gonna be lucky.” Bucky whispered as he rubbed Steve’s back. He kept his touch soft but the medication seemed to at least be working. Steve’s breathing was steadier and seemed to be evening out. He even sounded better now that he wasn’t gasping for breath. 

“I’ll always have you til the end of the line, Bucky. That’s what you told me.” Steve responded with a smirk. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know what I said. And I did mean it. I just worry s’all.” Bucky responded as his hand continued to stroke Steve’s back. 

Steve couldn’t bring himself to move just yet as the medication worked. His breathing was evening out and he was starting to calm down. He liked the feel of Bucky’s body against his own. It brought a confidence to him that he didn’t have before and he just wanted to have this moment for a few more moments. He was beginning to hurt from his little encounter, but he wouldn’t tell Bucky. Steve was a master at hiding his pain. 

“I don’t mean to make you worry, Buck. I just...”

“You’re stubborn, punk,” Bucky snorted. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. I know it’s hard for you to understand the concept, but I do care.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I just don’t wanna worry you s’all.” Steve pulled his head away from Bucky’s shoulder and looked at his friend. “You have enough stress with trying to keep up with my medication and the rent. Let me worry about myself.” 

“You’re so damn blind,” Bucky growled before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Steve’s. He was tired of the way they danced around each other. They had been doing this for way too long and Bucky was tired. He had wanted Steve to make the first move but it seemed his friend was hesitant and Bucky couldn’t really blame him. 

“Buck?” Steve breathed when Bucky pulled away. It hadn’t been a harsh kiss, just a light press of lips that opened Steve’s eyes. 

“You’re a clueless, clueless man, Rogers.” Bucky grinned. Steve hadn’t punched him, which was a good sign. He had been afraid of messing up their friendship that had been bordering on something more for years. 

“Yeah, you say that sometimes,”Steve chuckled. He leaned back into Bucky, winching as his wounds decided to burn once again. He hated the pain, but he was used to it. He got into more fights than anyone he knew. His mother used to scold him for using his fists instead of his smarts but Steve had always been a man of action rather than words. 

“C’mon. Let me look at you and get you cleaned up properly. I can practically do this in my sleep,” he teased. It wasn’t uncommon for Bucky to clean Steve up. He’d seen his best friends body more times than he could count and it would probably be a sure thing that Bucky would clean Steve up for the rest of his life. Of course he wouldn’t trust Steve to anyone else since his mother was dead and couldn’t help anymore. 

“I know, I’m trouble.” Steve stated weakly. He could feel the bone-weary tiredness sinking into his body. It was only a matter of time before he fell asleep on Bucky. He didn’t want to, he wanted to discuss the shift in their relationship that was finally happening. 

“But you’re my trouble, Stevie.” Bucky whispered as if it were a well kept secret. He'd been looking after Steve for years, ever since they had met on the street when they were younger and Bucky had stepped in on a fight.

"That's so romantic, Buck." Steve rolled his eyes and finally pulled away. He allowed Bucky to clean and dress his wounds. It stung but Steve would rather deal with that than infection. It was amazing how gentle Bucky was with him. Steve had never noticed before and he couldn’t believe that he had never caught on before. 

“You know me, tryin’ to impress my best gal.” Bucky finished up and patted Steve on the arm. “Now I’m gonna make some hot chocolate. You stay here.”

“Like I’m going anywhere.” Steve said with a huff. He watched Bucky as the hot chocolate was made. Their apartment wasn’t all that big but it was home. Actually, anywhere Bucky was would be home to Steve. It was more of a feeling to him than an actual place. 

“You wouldn’t get far, that’s for sure.” Bucky gave Steve a sly glance before going back to making his hot chocolate. He knew Steve would wait for as long as it took to make the hot chocolate. It probably wasn’t the best idea but warming Steve up was a high priority and the guy had a sweet tooth a mile long. 

“You’re making it with milk right?” Steve called after a few moments of silence. He hated the taste of water with his hot chocolate and normally had to wrangle Bucky into making it with milk. There were times milk upset his stomach and he would puke everything back up. Hopefully, he would be allowed this small comfort tonight. 

“What do you take me for, an idiot?” Bucky grabbed two mugs and poured the hot chocolate. He then took them both and handed Steve his, smiling at him while he did so. 

“That’s still debatable and I think the jury’s still out.” Steve took his hot chocolate between his hands and blew on it. He knew he couldn’t just dive right in like he wanted to. The chocolate was tempting but he didn’t want to scald himself. 

“You think you’re so hilarious.” Bucky huffed as he sat down beside Steve. He pulled the other man into his side so that he had some contact. He couldn’t deny that Steve’s story had him scared and he didn’t want to think about a life without Steve. They’d always been there for each other and it had always been them against the world. 

“I don’t think, I know.” Steve’s grin was crooked but he was content with his lot.   
They fell into a comfortable silence as they sipped their hot chocolate. It was natural for Steve to be curled up by Bucky’s side since he always ran warm. It was nice for Steve because it kept him from freezing most of the time and he would suck all the warmth he could from Bucky’s body. 

“Here,” Bucky said as he took the mug from Steve and set it on the table. Steve would take care of their dirty dishes later since he couldn’t let anything go dirty. 

“Mmmm,” Steve murmured as he watched Bucky grab a well worn book from the table. 

Bucky leaned into the couch and pulled Steve to sit between his legs. They were sitting longways so it wasn’t that much of a hindrance. Steve was small and compact and perfect for this position. Bucky read as Steve settled down and pulled the worn quilt from the back of the couch. He wrapped it around his body and just dozed off while Bucky read. The day had been tiring but Steve wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet. 

There was a hand at his hip, dipping under his trousers to trace the cool skin there. Bucky had always been a hands on person and this didn’t bother Steve in the slightest. There was a shift in their relationship and he was enjoying what was happening. It wasn’t a monument shift, but at least there was a name to what they were now. Bucky would be in for the long haul as well as Steve. He wouldn’t really settle for anything less. 

“C’mon, sleepyhead, let’s go to bed.” Bucky stated after reading for an hour. He realized that Steve had fallen asleep when his breathing evened out and he couldn’t allow him to sleep on the couch. It would be bad for Steve’s back and he’d have to listen to him bitch. 

“Don’t wanna move.” Steve murmured and buried himself against Bucky. He didn’t care if his back would kill him later but he was too damn stubborn to move. 

"Hate to tell you but we are gonna move," Bucky pulled Steve up and hauled him over his show shoulder in a fireman's carry. When Steve didn't protest, Bucky knew he was worn out. 

“Buuucckkyyy...” Steve whined as he finally cracked his eyes open. He wanted to be let down but he knew Bucky wouldn’t do that. Steve was relieved that he wasn’t being carried bridal style since this was embarrassing enough. 

“I told you to get up, punk. You didn’t listen.” Bucky chuckled and threw Steve carefully down on the bed and crawled after him. He laid out on the bed and pulled Steve close to him. 

Steve didn’t say much as he laid his head on Bucky’s chest. He was ready to fall asleep again because he was still tired. He listened to the steady beat of the heart under his ear. Steve just drifted while Bucky threaded his fingers through Steve’s hair. It was a familiar gesture Bucky had done many times before. Steve didn’t really move, he just let Bucky hold him. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Just listening to your heart.” Steve whispered back. 

Bucky brought his free hand up and clasped Steve’s smaller hand on his own. Steve was amazed with how gentle Bucky was with him sometimes. Bucky was a fighter by nature and he was a hell of a fighter but with Steve, he was always calm and collected and had the patience of a saint. Bucky didn’t have much patience when it came to anything else. 

“You’re such a dork and I love you.” Bucky pressed a kiss to Steve’s temple. “I’ll keep you safe.”


End file.
